In Joy and Sorrow
by akuroku4ever
Summary: Roxas has worked his way up to be the best, now he’s in Twilight Town’s most elite high school. He’ll show them what he’s made of, but there’s something telling him he won’t have the chance. Is someone trying to get rid of him already? AKUROKU yaoi
1. Old Friends?

**Disclaimer: We do not own Kingdom Hearts.**

**In Joy and Sorrow**

**Chapter 1**

---

Roxas put a piece of toast in his mouth as he picked up his book bag. He glanced at his wrist watch quickly and headed out the door.

"Damn," he cursed as he locked the door to his house. "There's no way I'm going to be late. I can't damn it!"

"I can't believe Sora left without me!" he muttered as he swallowed half of the toast. He ran at full speed toward his high school. "My junior year and I'm late! Damn you Sora!!!"

He raced toward the school gates. He finally spotted the building. The school bell began to ring as he tripped over a dog that had decided to run across the street. Roxas caught his balance quickly and tried everything in his power not to choke on the piece of toast that had lodged itself into his throat. He finally reached the gates and slipped through them before they had closed.

"And I am SAFE!!" Roxas exclaimed happily. "Now to get to homeroom!" He fumbled with a piece of paper as he pulled it out of his front pocket. He scanned it to find the room number. Roxas began to run again once finding the number. He began to put the paper away. "I'm almost there!"

Roxas was about to enter a hallway in the school building. He slowed down to take a look at each of the numbers. Roxas turned to look behind him where he heard the voice but he didn't stop running. He suddenly looked forward again and saw black fabric instead of the rest of the hallway. He tried to stop himself from colliding with the teen in front of him, but it was no use. They were both sent falling to the ground with a loud thud.

Roxas raised his head and looked down at the person below him. Roxas's face flushed as he realized that it was a senior. No one dared to mess with the seniors. It's like tradition. They were, after all, at the top of the food chain.

"And where do you think _you're_ going?" the red-headed senior said slyly, a smirk painted across his face.

Roxas got off of him and jumped away. "I-I was just trying to get to class," Roxas stuttered nervously. "I'm so sorry!"

The teen quickly got up and towered over Roxas. "Just be careful next time, sweetie," he said, ruffling the younger boy's hair before stalking off.

Roxas was dumbfounded. He just pummeled a senior to the ground and all he got in return was a warning?? That was unreal... Roxas turned back to see the boy walk away from him casually. He wasn't hard to miss; his bright hair stood out in the mass of students. Roxas shook his head and went to class without any further mishaps.

---

Axel casually walked down the hall, getting admiring sighs from a couple of girls along the way. He finally made it to his homeroom, and sat down next to his friends Demyx, Zexion, and Marluxia. Axel eyed his binder and sighed. He knew that kid. He knew him from..what was it? Kindergarten? Right, kindergarten. Ahh the good old days..

Roxas and Axel went to kindergarten together. Axel remembers Roxas getting teased a lot, but that's mostly because he was firing everyone up to do so in the first place. Axel was the kid who picked on Roxas the most; and even to this day he doesn't know why he did it. Axel could just IMAGINE what Roxas would do to him if he found that out... Axel shivered at the though. His friends just stared.

"Dude, you seem like you have a lot on your mind," Demyx said, "I think school has finally gotten to you."

Axel rolled his eyes. "I was just thinking is all."

Demyx's eyes grew wide and he let out a fake, dramatic gasp. "AXEL IS THINKING?!! CALL THE AMBULANCE!"

Axel chuckled lightly as he suddenly got an evil glint in his eye. "Demyx," he began deviously. "This is what it feels like when the skull is hit with cardboard." Axel gripped his binder and slammed it against Demyx's head. The blonde was lucky it was pretty much empty.

"Ow!!" Demyx yelped as he clutched his head tightly. "I was only kidding, sheesh!"

Axel ignored the idiotic blonde and proceeded to have a staring contest with Zexion. Axel cringed and looked away. Zexion always won staring contests; his expression never changes. Axel thought that his muscles tightened and now his face is stuck with a bored, emotionless stare.

Zexion was the quiet one who was unbelievably intelligent In other words, he's a genius. Demyx on the other hand, isn't quite on the same level. He could be Zexion's exact opposite. He was loud, obnoxious and not the brightest kid on the block.

Then there's Marluxia, the other smart one but a bit more down to earth than other students in his state of mind, meaning Zexion. He was Twilight Town's mascot. Why he took it up, is a big mystery no one would dare look into. Messing with Marluxia is like messing with the government. He'll take you down in a second.

Axel eyed his friends, laughing to himself about how different they all were. He had been friends with this group for quite a while; why Zexion even stuck with them is a complete mystery, and Axel was surprised any of them could stand Demyx for so long...

"So," Demyx began as he tried to ignore the pain. "What were you thinking about to begin with?"

"It's nothing," Axel sighed. No one needs to know, not yet at least.

'_Maybe this school year won't be such a drag after all,'_ Axel thought with a smirk. He might have some fun with an 'old friend.'

---

TA: Okay, to start things off, I'm Totally Anime. I wrote this story with a friend. Now, the story is starting out pretty good in my opinion. It's short, but it's good.

CloudsGirl: WHOO! I think that was great LOL kind of a short chappie but that's pretty much because our brains haven't been working (well mine anyways -.-;) Anyways, since TotallyAnime is working with me on this, the story is sure to be pretty long o.o;

BRACE YOURSELVES FOR RANDOM STUPIDITY AND SHRIMP! (yes..shrimp)


	2. If the Memories Could Burn Away

**Disclaimer: We do not own Kingdom Hearts**

**In Joy and Sorrow**

**Chapter 2**

**-****If the Memories Could Burn Away-**

**---**

"How dare you leave me behind!!!" Roxas yelled at his brother, Sora. The two shared their first three classes. Roxas slammed his books on Sora's desk angrily. "You didn't even wake me up!!"

"Well it's not my fault you're such a heavy sleeper, sheesh," Sora said. "I called your name and knocked on your door, but you didn't get up."

"Ugh, whatever," Roxas plopped himself onto the seat in front of Sora's. He muttered to himself angrily as he arranged his items. Some of his things were out of order from the fall.

'_Who was that guy anyway?'_ Roxas thought. '_I don't know a single senior who would take it that easy. Well, other than Riku, but he's a family friend... and the hottest male athlete in the damn school, not to mention Sora's current obsession.'_

Roxas shook the thought out of his mind as he watched the teacher walk up to the whiteboard and start scribbling something.

"Class, this is Roxas and Sora," their teacher announced as she suddenly motioned for the two to stand. "They're not like you spoiled little rich brats. These two come from a poor family and are here because their grades were enough to get into this school."

Sora and Roxas slid down their seats, trying to sink into the very ground itself. The other students around them only glared and ridiculed them while they tried to disappear.

"Make it end," Roxas whined. By now, his chin was just barely above the top of the desk. Sora was as low as he was.

"We'll be on everyone's hate list by the end of the day..." Sora whispered to himself fretfully. "This sucks ass..."

Roxas sat up slightly and began banging his head on the desk. This school year was gonna suck so badly, he just knew it. He imagined everyone teasing him and Sora, beating on them every hour of everyday of his now completely destroyed life. Thank you, teacher, now go die.

Roxas opened his notebook and began doodling. He sketched out a person sitting against a wall in an ...alleyway? Okay, alleyway. He scribbled out the person's hair: wildly spiked up in the back at different angles. He drew the senior he had just ran into.

"--xas. ROXAS!" the teacher yelled, slapping a thick ruler on his desk. He jumped, almost falling off his chair, and quickly shut his notebook.

He heard Sora snicker behind him, and turned around to give Sora a death glare. Sora quickly buried his face in his textbook and began whistling. Roxas rolled his eyes as he turned back to face the board.

"Okay class," the teacher began."If you can get all your homework this week graded an A, I'll allow you all to go to the dance next week. Otherwise, you will all be sitting here taking a test on last year's history lessons." The class groaned as she said this, and Roxas twitched.

'_A dance? Why are they setting up a dance so early in the year?'_ Roxas thought. '_This school is just so irritating...'_

The teacher continued on with her lesson while half the class was already losing their early morning rush. Roxas opened his notebook and began to work on his sketch from earlier. This was something he always knew he was good at, not even the seniors can top him.

'_Oh, so first we have to stress out about classes, friends and a new school year,'_ Roxas thought bitterly. '_Now we have to stress out about a dance? Damn it all...'_

After Roxas's third class, the bell finally rang. Roxas walked to his locker to put his books away and head over to lunch. He opened his locker and watched as a little piece of paper fell out. He picked it up and fumbled with it until it uncrumpled. Roxas read the piece of paper. His eyebrows furrowed together as he reread it.

---

"You don't belong here," Roxas read aloud. "Leave or you'll pay the price..."

Sora stared at Roxas in shock as he bit into his pizza.

"'Pay the price?' Do you think they mean it?" Sora asked, slightly losing his appetite. "But if they have something against you... Shouldn't they have something against me too?"

"Maybe they don't think of you as much of a threat," Roxas suggested.

"Is that an insult?" Sora asked.

Roxas rolled his eyes. "No, but maybe you should reconsider your stay here."

"But..." Sora trailed off as he spotted a few older teens pass by. He watched them intently as if the teens were going to pounce on him any minute.

Roxas followed his gaze and recognized one of them. '_It's him!'_ Roxas thought as he spotted that red hair. '_What's he doing here?'_ He whirled his head around just as the redhead's eyes turned in his direction. '_Did he see me? No, please tell me no.'_ Roxas slowly peeked over his shoulder and saw green eyes staring back at him. He blinked. '_Green...?'_

Roxas jumped out of his seat in surprise, banging his knee against the table in the process. His face was just mere inches away from the senior. He hissed in pain as he plopped back down onto his seat and hugged his knee.

Axel eyed the blonde curiously. "Your a clumsy little blondie, aren't ya?" he said, laughing lightly. Roxas turned and looked at him, still grasping his knee from the throbbing pain.

Roxas slightly blushed as Axel grew a beaming grin. Sora coughed," Weirdo," and turned away from Axel, who then eyed him and rolled his eyes.

Roxas coughed. "No offense, but shouldn't you seniors be off doing..uhm...senior things?" he said, looking away from Axel and twitching a bit. He heard Axel laugh loudly.

"How can I resist you? Your just so adorable," he said, ruffling Roxas' messy blonde hair. Roxas winced as Axel's hand touched his head.

"You act as if we're friends," Roxas almost growled.

"But aren't we though?" Axel asked with a grin.

"That's not for you to decide," Roxas responded.

'_Could it be...'_ Axel thought. He stared at Roxas blankly for a few moments. '_...He doesn't remember?'_

Sora stared at Axel as if he were some math problem he couldn't decipher. He was practically looking Axel over like he was a lab rat or some strange liquid found in the sewer.

'_So... familiar!!!'_ Sora thought as he continued to stare. He turned his head sideways, hoping that it would help him. '_Who is he?!?!'_

Axel's blank expression was obviously noticeable since Roxas even bothered to ask him why he was staring at him. "Oh," Axel said, escaping from his thoughts. "Do you really have to ask? You could pass off for a doll!" Axel nearly engulfed Roxas into a deathly hug, but he prevented himself from doing so.

"Well, Roxas," Axel began. "I'll see you around." He gave Roxas a wink before retreating to his little group of friends.

Roxas stared in confusion as he watched Axel leaved. Sora, on the other hand, was smiling at his slice of pizza quite contentedly.

Axel smirked as he walked back to his friends "...I thought you would have remembered, Roxas." He whispered. "'Guess I was wrong..." He grinned as his friends waved him over.

---

Axel sat alone in his room after school. Blaring through his CD player speakers was the song 'She's the Blade' by Sugarcult. Axel lightly headbanged along to the song. He also thought about Roxas. Oh, Roxas; that cute little blonde that Axel feels like he could molest any second. He was actually surprised that Roxas couldn't remember him, I mean afterall, his hair IS bright red..

Axel was curious if he had any pictures of the shortie. He got up and dug through his box of random stuff like pictures, keychains, and...Barney stickers?? Axel threw those behind him and continued digging through the box. "Eureka!" he said happily, retrieving the pictures from the box. He sat up against the side of his bed and flipped through them.

Here was a picture of the class at their first field trip. All the kids were making funny faces, except for Roxas. He was standing there with a very frustrated look on his face, and an ice cream cone upsidedown atop his little blonde head. Axel stood next to him, holding the end of the cone and smooshing it even more into the poor kid's hair. Axel sighed, realizing how mean he really was to Roxas.

Axel flipped to another picture. A picture of the special awards ceremony at their school in the auditorium. Axel's expression quickly saddened when he saw a red-faced Roxas being pushed down the stairs that let up to the stage. Axel, of course, was the one standing there laughing as Roxas hit the ground face first, his award for 'A student' lying on his head.

Axel flipped to one other picture. Their class picture. Everyone had bright smiles, and Axel pointed out each and every little kid. And then he came to Roxas. His head was buried in his knees, and his arms were wrapped tightly around his little legs. Axel saw himself making bunnie ears with his fingers behind Roxas' head. Axel glared at the picture and threw it on the floor in front of him.

Axel threw every picture of him and Roxas in a pile in front of him. He was just about to set them aflame, when he went and decided to add the Barney stickers to the pile too. He lit the papers and they slowly burned away to ashes. Axel felt tears swell up in his eyes. He wished he could erase Roxas' past. He wished he could burn it all away as easy as he could burn the reminders...

**---**

**TA: Well, that was an awesome chapter!!! We rock, right!! -grins-**

**CloudsGirl: WOO! This chapter TOTALLY makes up for the sucky first chapter we posted:D Anyways, we'll try and keep updated! **


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